99 Years

A song of unknown provenance performed by Pigpen at the pre-1965 show that was recorded and circulates on tape as the "Unident Thing" tape. Date and venue of the performance unknown.

Pigpen's lyrics on tape (where decipherable) are as follows;

I was born Mississippi,
Down on little cotton farm,
I was born Mississippi,
Down on little cotton farm,
Working on a little cotton farm now,
Down there in (Fulton?) town.

Well I said I woke up early in the morning,
And the blues come falling down,
Well I said I woke up early in the morning,
And the blues come falling down,
Well I was all locked up in jail now,
And I'm (but?) prison bound.

I said when I had my trial, baby,
I said now you could not be found,
When I had my trial, child,
I said now you could not be found,
When I said (?) (?) (?) now, child,
Yeh, (that reason is?) I'm prison bound.

I said Judge look at me,
He said son, you got 99 year,
Yeh, look at me now,
Son, you got 99 year,
I said gonna want to stay behind the concrete wall, man,
You know, man, even though the rest of my life.

I said now I tell all you boy,
What you mustn't do,
Don't let the woman, boy,
Lead you astray,
Or you'll wind up, child,
99 year, mmmm.., I said 99 year

You got to stay behind the concrete walls,
The rest of your life...
(The song on tape is cut at this point)

The song is similar in some ways to Traditional/Leroy Carr song Prison Bound Blues and has some similarities with some of the 99 Year Blues on record. It may be a cover of an existing recording of a song or a Pigpen variation on the 99 Years theme.